S-Second person...?! That's... that's just weird, man! Doesn't second person assume the reader is one of the characters in the story? That would be like we're going on an adventure with Yoshi and gang.In future tense, no less! I can't even wrap my head around that.
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(Here I come out of nowhere becuase second-person, one of my favorite styles of writing, has been addressed!) While it is commonly seen in choose your own adventure style works, the second-person can be used effectively to limit the perspective in ways that give the reader a different sense of agency; while it does require the reader to assume the place of a character to some degree, it is (in my personal opinion) less voyeuristic than first- or third- while also building tension because it is as if you are being personally led forward in the narrative. One of my favorite uses of it is Dennis Lehane's Until Gwen [PG-13 content warning] (which inspired me to try my hand at it in the only piece of writing I've put out there).Originally Posted by stukasa
S-Second person...?! That's... that's just weird, man! Doesn't second person assume the reader is one of the characters in the story? That would be like we're going on an adventure with Yoshi and gang.
Last edited by Anduril; Mar 28, 2018 at 12:20 AM.
See, I told you we had readers!
Yeah, that's pretty much how it's used. It's really surreal how it's used. It draws you in by having a quick fortune (Today, you will experience heavy traffic if you go down 3rd street), then it weaves a story around it (locked in your car, you will begin to think about the argument you had with your husband last night). Then things get even stranger from there.
Nightvale is really creative with its writing.
@Anduril: I just read a little bit of "Until Gwen" and the style is pretty interesting. I don't know if I've actually read a second-person story before. I see some pros and cons to it. One of the pros is that it draws you into the story. You feel more connected to what's happening because the character is YOU. Like you said, it builds tension because you're being led forward in the narrative without knowing what's going to happen next. As far as cons, it definitely limits the perspective of the reader (which could also be a good thing, depending on the situation). But as far as my fanfic goes, I wouldn't use second-person because my characters are more a reflection of my own personality, so I'd feel weird asking others to assume the role of a character that's sort of a reflection of me (if that makes sense). I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just that I personally would feel weird about it. In a different situation, though, it might be fun to give it a try.
Sig art by Aussei ^_^
Yeah, it's a fun little tool to work with. I think it'll work better for say, writing prompts on Reddit. Or little short stories you write on the side.
(The following are my general thoughts and ramblings regarding POV in regards to short-form writing, and is in no way directly an address of or reaction to anyone's writings in particular)
In the form of a short side-story, as Zorafim mentioned, I would personally argue that asking the reader to step into the shoes of a character is a great way to build a deeper understanding of that character, even more so when that character is a reflection of the writer. You can probably blame my years of literary analysis coursework, but I always find it hard to trust first- and third-person narration when it comes to personal stories since either narrator likely has an agenda. The former will likely try to obscure things that reflect poorly on them or to reshape events in a way that favors their narrative, while the latter, even if they are not a "character" in-and-of themselves, always brings the question of why this disembodied voice has chosen to focus on these events and these characters; when it comes to smaller character-driven pieces, these perspectives can lead to more "telling" instead of "showing" the kind of personality the character has. In a short piece, second-person can give the right balance of detached and personal since it is usually more in the moment and reactionary thus potentially allowing the reader to more strongly identify with the character they have stepped into the shoes of. Again, all just my personal opinion tainted by my love of the unusual nature of second-person narration.
All this is making me want to go back and try working some of my abandoned writing projects...
Please do
I always wanted to write a choose your own adventure, but that sounds very time consuming, requires a lot of thinking and forethought. And the topic would have to be interesting enough for me to continue writing should it go on for a long while.
Also more writers here would be nice. Sucks to see how many suddenly drop out of sight, but that's life.
I thought I saw a website that had that kind of format. Each chapter was on its own page, and at the bottom, you would have a list of things that could happen next. So you click on one of them and hit continue, and it takes you to that chapter. And each story was open to every author, so a good premise for a story would be fleshed out by as many authors as would find it interesting.
It could work with us. Not in PSOW, it would need some software that would match it. Reddit is the closest I can think of, unless I can find the site that I'm thinking of.
Each chapter had its own comments, so you could read the comments of any viewers to see how the story could continue. If any of them sound interesting, just go for it.
That’s funny, because my first instinct was the exact opposite.I would think the second-person narrator has the biggest agenda, because a second-person story is the only one that assumes direct control of the reader. The second-person narrator says, “You are going to be who I want you to be. You are going to do what I want you to do. You are going to think what I want you to think. And there’s nothing you can do about it.” Whereas the first-person narrator is relaying their own story, and the third-person narrator is relaying the story of someone else. They may have an agenda, but they have no way of forcing it upon the reader directly. For example:
Second-Person Narrator: “You sure do love murdering people. It’s pretty much your favorite thing to do.”
Reader: “Wait, what?! But I don’t want to be a murderer…”
Second-Person Narrator: “Sorry, I control your identity in this story, and I say you’re a cold-blooded killer. You especially love murdering poor defenseless grannies and children, because you’re a terrible person with no conscience.”
Reader: “Please, no more!”
Second-Person Narrator: “Too bad. You have no choice in the matter.”
That might be a silly example, but hopefully you get what I mean. As far as my own stories go, I actually prefer a certain level of detachment between the narrator and the reader. Some fairly harsh things have happened in my stories, things I would never wish upon my readers. Like, “Your entire family is slain by Darkers in front of your eyes, leaving you a hollow shell of a person.” I want my readers to feel for the characters, not to experience that kind of trauma firsthand. And yes, I know that simply telling a reader what to feel isn’t the same as them actually feeling it. But I’d still feel bad about forcing it on them that way.
I do, however, think a PSO2 “Choose Your Own Adventure” story would be pretty awesome. If done right.
Sig art by Aussei ^_^
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